Support for doctoral students

On this page

• Supervision
• Individual appraisal talks for doctoral students
• Representation
• Health and safety representatives and committees
• Committees on gender equality, equal opportunities and diversity
• Health and security
• Lund University's doctoral student ombudsman (DOMB)
• Career development

Supervision

Supervisors provide guidance and support throughout the doctoral programme, both in relation to coursework and the dissertation project. They are often the first point of contact for discussing matters beyond the research itself, such as teaching, career development, workload, stress, and wellbeing.

Each doctoral student is assigned two supervisors. One serves as the principal supervisor and must be a docent (equivalent to an associate professor) or a professor. The roles and responsibilities of the supervisors are set out in the Individual Study Plan (ISP).

Read more about the individual study plan here

Detailed information on supervision at Swedish universities

Individual appraisal talks for doctoral students

Towards the end of each year, the Assistant Head of Department invites all doctoral students to an individual appraisal meeting. The discussion is based on notes from previous appraisal meetings, where applicable, and the annual review of the Individual Study Plan (ISP).

Doctoral students are encouraged to raise any additional issues they wish to discuss, particularly matters relating to their work environment, wellbeing, professional development, and future career plans.

At the internal website for staff at Lund University you can read more about staff appraisals for academic employees

Representation

The Department has a Doctoral Student Council that represents the interests of doctoral students and serves as a forum for discussing issues related to doctoral education and the doctoral student experience.

The Council meets approximately once a month and is led by a Chair and a Vice-Chair. Doctoral students can raise questions, concerns, and ideas through the Council, particularly in situations where they would benefit from collective discussion or representation. The Chair and Vice-Chair also serve as key contacts for the Director of Doctoral Studies and the Deputy Head of Department responsible for doctoral education.

The Doctoral Student Council is represented on the Department Board, the Research Council, and the Department's committee for equality, equal opportunities, and diversity.

The Council also represents doctoral students at the faculty level through the Faculty of Social Sciences Doctoral Student Council (SDR), which is part of the Lund Doctoral Student Union (LDK).

Links to general information:

• Beginner’s Guide to Swedish Academy by the young academy of Sweden
• Departmental board
• Department Doctoral Student Council
• Lund's Doctoral Student Union website

Health and Safety representatives and committees

• The Department’s Health and Safety representative is Åsa Knaggård
• Faculty’s health and safety representatives
• General information

Committees on gender equality, equal opportunities and diversity

• Department’s working group on gender equality, equal opportunities and diversity
• University council for gender equality and equal opportunities
• University activities on gender equality and equal opportunities
• Employee organisations and unions

Health and security

If you need support with health, wellbeing, or work-related concerns, we encourage you to seek help as early as possible.

Depending on your situation and preferences, several people at the Department can serve as an initial point of contact for a confidential conversation. These include your supervisors, the Director of Doctoral Studies, the Deputy Head of Department, the Head of Department, and the Department’s Health and Safety Representative. They can help you identify appropriate sources of support and guide you to relevant services and resources.

Links to first contacts for a confidential talk

• Assistant Head and Director of Doctoral Studies: Sara Kalm sara [dot] kalm [at] svet [dot] lu [dot] se
• Head of Department: Kristina Jönsson kristina [dot] jonsson [at] svet [dot] lu [dot] se
• The Department’s Health and Safety Representative: Åsa Knaggård (asa [dot] knaggard [at] svet [dot] lu [dot] se)
• Work environment and health (with information on victimisation, harassment and reporting of occupational injuries and incidents, computer glasses)
• Health and wellness (with information on health promotion, rehabilitation and substance abuse)
• Occupational health service of the university (with information on medical advice, stress and lifestyle advice, counselling, ergonomic advice, and further links on public healthcare)
• Security & emergency (with information on emergency support and reporting, crisis support, first aid, threats & violence, fire, information security, export control, unauthorised persons)

PhD wellbeing and career mentor

Since 2025, Lund University has offered a dedicated PhD Wellbeing and Career Mentor service. The position is held by Laura Cox, a psychologist with a PhD.

You are welcome to contact her for support with issues related to wellbeing, working life, and career development. She offers both individual consultations and group activities. You can also download the booklet Wellbeing: Tools to Thrive During Your PhD via the link below.

For more information, visit the Navigation Portal for Support Resources for Doctoral Students at Lund University.

Lund University's doctoral student ombudsman (DOMB)

The doctoral student ombudsman (DOMB) is tasked with helping doctoral students at Lund University when they encounter challenges regarding doctoral education. No matter how small or how serious the problem is, you are welcome to contact DOMB for support (free of charge).

E-post: domb [at] ldk [dot] lu [dot] se (domb[at]ldk[dot]lu[dot]se)

Career development

Lund University provides information about doctoral students' career development here:

Career paths within research and teaching at Lund University | Staff Pages

You can also get help from the above-mentioned PhD Wellbeing and Career mentor.